NATIVE Exclusive: Ladipoe talks self-conviction & pushing his artistry
“I came into this thing to get better, not worse.”
Ladipoe is every interviewer’s dream. Considering the calm vigour and poise he exudes on wax, his eloquence is unsurprising, however, it remained noticeable and entrancing during our conversation over the phone. He speaks with the casual intensity of someone who needs to be fully understood, making sure every sentence imbues a sense of clarity.
“When you feel like you represent something to people, you want to hit that target—and more so, because you represent that thing to yourself”, Poe offers when I ask him about the lofty expectations that have trailed him since he came on to the Nigerian rap scene. As far back as 2010, Ladipoe made his debut on “Victoria Island of Broken Dreams”, a standout off Show Dem Camp’s ‘Clone Wars, Vol. 1’ mixtape. In sixteen resounding bars, Poe walked listeners through the peculiarities of his Nigerian experience, culminating into a socially charged rant that was held up by prodigious rapping.
In fact, it took Poe eight years to put out a studio album ‘Talk about Poe’ in October 2018. “I didn’t want to call it a studio album”, he admits, but there was little wiggle room for the title semantics of a long-awaited project, especially since the years in between were filled with stellar, yet sparse features and loose singles. Upon its release, ‘T.A.P’ became a victory on two notable fronts, the first being by the sheer value of its existence. It might not be widely deemed as a modern Nigerian rap classic, but it felt important: it was the final arrival of a potential rap star who was only gearing up to go his own distance.
The second victory was in its chosen musical direction. A year-and-a-half prior to the debut full-length release, Ladipoe’s recording deal with Mavin Records was announced, a move that was met with surprising—and divisive—murmurs. As a label that had earned its acclaim for constantly and successful marketing pop acts, there were fears that Poe’s new affiliation would drastically alter the creative direction of his music. Allaying those fears, ‘T.A.P’ found him in his tested and trusted element, merging dynamic lyricism, relatable emotions and eclectic production which ran the gamut from soulful, reflective raps to thumping anthems.
“I’ve learnt that people don’t know what they want, so you need to give them you, and don’t worry about whether they will like it or not. It has to be your authentic self, first, so that they set their own standards and expectations accordingly.”
To him, fulfilling high hopes isn’t pressure—“I look at it too positively to call it that”—and he needs those who care to know that he also has his sights on the highest plane possible, but it’s a journey he considers continuous. If you add his debut album, Ladipoe has arguably been in the most prolific period of his career yet for the past eighteen months. The guest verses have been pouring in, he’s shared a handful of singles, and he flipped the calendar between 2019 and 2020 with Revival Sundays, a series where he put out five new songs and accompanying DIY-ish videos over five weeks. The defining element of these drops is that, Poe is adjusting and widening the musical range of his output.
To open last year’s run, he dropped “Jaiye (Time of our Lives)”, a vibrant and colourful song about finding the right people to enjoy the beauty of Lagos with, amidst all of its chaos. Produced by label mate Johnny Drille and accompanied by a stunning video, you’d think the glossy folk-pop cut was an overt play at finagling a hit song, but Ladipoe proclaims his intentions with the opening ad-lib—“I do know this is my vibe”. Although “Jaiye” was a well-executed switch-up his next single, the Crayon-assisted “Based on Kpa”, felt drastic by comparison.
In the larger context that is Poe’s career, though, the back-to-back drop of those singles was a reclamation of the perceived boundaries around his skillset. “It was less of a catalyst and more of remembering”, Poe began to explain when I probed him on the motivation behind the musical adjustments. “When I first started making music, my first producer was a guy named Kurt, and he used to play the guitar—he’s a full-on white boy. I introduced him to more African music, he introduced me to a lot of old rock/folk shit. I was listening to Elliot Smith, Death Cab for Cuties, Postal Service, and I even got into bands like Vampire Weekend and MGMT. Of course I’d been listening to hip-hop and rap growing, but all of this came at a stage where I was learning to make music, so that period heavily influenced how I felt music.”
For him, channelling those influences in his music only feels natural when you’re actively trying to grow. In these parts, when you’re deemed something of a rap messiah, putting out anything but lyric-driven rap songs is a recipe for backlash from familiar listeners, however, he sees it as a by-product of the artist having to evolve before the listener. “I’ve elevated from thinking that when I hear a song, I have to rap the sickest verse, to ‘when I make music, I need to make a great song’”, he explains with a stronger hint of passion in his voice.
“I am not just a rapper, I am a songwriter—I am an artist. If the music doesn’t need a hard sixteen, and it needs a melodic flow and something really catchy, that’s what I will do.”
While he’s still working his way up to acceptance at home, Ladipoe’s ethos has become the norm in rap’s global landscape. In referring to himself as more than a rapper, he cites Drake as an inspiration, noting how his fluidity plays an integral role in the connecting value of his music. “Niggas want a classic, that’s just ten of these”, Drake rapped on the 2019 deep cut, “Sandra’s Rose”, a nod to the multitude of fans who would rather hear him rap over soul samples, but also an acknowledgement that his musical ambitions won’t be chained to one specific style. This is where Ladipoe’s currently at.
In July 2019, Poe released “LOTR (Leader of the Revival)”, a potent statement track of skill and ambition that quickly went viral after its informal drop on Twitter. Attacking Ikon’s Jazz-inflected beat with a vicious purpose, Poe unloaded a flurry of clever and clear raps, culminating in a song that felt—and still feels—like watching thunder spark and sizzle in a bottle. Predictably, comments started rolling in “LOTR” being Ladipoe in his best form, and how he needed to stick to those elements to justify the hype that’s always surrounded him. Well, he’s not planning to play to those rigid rules.
“The whole idea behind LOTR, in my head, is not about rap or hip-hop is dead, it’s that the bar for artistry needs to remain high.”
Chances are, if you’ve been paying attention to Poe in recent times, the word “artistry” isn’t alien when he talks. For him, the concept of artistry is one that allows musicians purposefully work within their ambitions, where the only boundary that truly matters is excellent. “If you’re a rapper, think of yourself as much more: how you want to see yourself, who people should see you as, how you want to perform your music. I can’t imagine being a great rapper but a bad stage performer.”
To Ladipoe, being wholesome is the essence of being an artist. It’s why he’s making music that reflects the diversity of his influence and range of his skillset, and why he carries himself with an electrifying presence on stage. As a self-appointed leader, being an artist also means being a beacon for the next generation of artists that their style of music is relevant. One explicit way of achieving this is through collaborations: in the last year, Poe has appeared on projects from Bella Alubo, Remy Baggins and Psycho YP, while also introducing rising rapper Victony via Revival Sunday cut, “Revival Mode”.
“I believe in them, I think they’re important, and it’s important for there to be a swell of new, young artists, ‘cos our industry has the space and it needs the freshness”
Towards the end of our conversation, we finally got to the reason for the interview in the first place: Ladipoe’s new single, “Know You”, featuring Simi. Poe describes the song as the perfect quarantine song, as it addresses growing and missed connections. “Social distancing doesn’t mean emotional distancing, that’s just really the core of the song”, he excitedly explains. “So that person you were trying to get with before lockdown, or the person you’re communicating with during this period, or even just family you’re reconnecting with, this is the song for all of that.”
For all intents and purposes, “Know You” is what you’d describe as a sultry bop. Alongside his guest, Poe slips into a melodic cadence that exudes charm and sensuality, applying vivid songwriting to properly convey the song’s relatable topic. This is a change of pace from the explosive “LOTR” and boisterous cuts on the Revival Sunday series, which the new single a win for Poe’s increasingly effective versatility, and pushes him another step in the right direction of cementing himself as an ambassador for artistry.
Currently, he’s is working on a project—not his sophomore album—that we should be getting mid-way through the year, but could likely be delayed by the ongoing lockdown. He deems the project as something that would show all the sides to his capabilities and person.
“I started this off as someone who could put together sixteens, and while there’s still a thrill to that, I want to explore and show off every facet of what I can do. I came into this thing to get better, not worse.”
[Featured Image Credits Provided by Artist]
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NATIVE EXCLUSIVE: A-Q IS MOVING FROM VETERAN RAPPER TO LEADER OF A RENAISSANCE
Luwa.Mp4 Releases Riotous Debut Album, ‘punKstA*’
Across the album’s 12 tracks, Luwa.Mp4 continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock,...
Rising singer and rapper Luwa.Mp4 has released his debut album titled ‘punKstA*.’ The underground star who has been on a release spree all year long, announced the imminent arrival of his debut only a couple of days ago with a cryptic trailer video and an Instagram caption that simply read ‘PUNKSTA* MONDAY.’
Before the arrival of ‘punKstA*,’ the rising fusion star had been showcasing his diligence and talent with a consistent output that has seen him put out over a dozen songs since the start of the year. A string of singles led to a 6-pack titled ‘lore skooL,’ while a deluxe version that housed 5 new songs came just a month later.
His debut album’s lead single, “pUNK FANTASY,” arrived in late July, setting the stage for what could prove to be a pivotal moment in the underground star’s burgeoning career.
Across the album’s 12 tracks, the eclectic singer continues his fiery exploration and fusion of genres like Punk Rock, Afropop, Hyperpop, and Rap into something uniquely different. Tracks like “Pure Water,” which was previously teased on Cruel Santino’s Subaru Live Stream, the abrasive, Tecno-influenced “pROMISED NEVERLAND,” and the more laidback “pEEp MY RIDE” put on display the sort of varied, autotune-soaked approach that has set him apart and helped carve a growing niche.
While Luwa decided to go solo on his debut, credited as the only recording artist, the album was brought to life by a cast of talented producers like frequent collaborator TOPSY, Emyboi, JTRN, 3CB, FVKK.ANDI and Jeremy Cartier.
Listen to ‘punKstA*,’ here.
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Shekhinah Returns With Surprise Album, ‘Less Trouble’
The South African R&B star is at her most assertive on her first album in four years.
South African R&B and Pop singer Shekhinah has released a new surprise album titled ‘Less Trouble.’ The Durban star, who had been quiet for most of the year, took to social media shortly before midnight to share the new album’s cover, synopsis, and tracklist, simply stating, ‘If you’re seeing this my album LESS TROUBLE is out now at Midnight,’ in an Instagram caption.
The soulful singer first began teasing ‘Less Trouble,’ her first album in over four years, about a year ago when she released its lead single “Risk,” a bouncy Afropop-inspired collab with Ghanaian star MOLIY. A few months after the release of “Risk,” she put out “Steady,” a dreamy pop number that suggested that something bigger was on the horizon. But then it was largely radio silence about a project until its surprise arrival at midnight.
If 2021’s ‘Trouble In Paradise’ represented a coming-of-age for Shekhinah, subsisting some of the dreamy, youthful exuberance of her debut album for more measured musings on themes like heartbreak and grief, ‘Less Trouble’ finds her at her most assertive, writing and singing with the acuity of someone who is grown, decisive and discerning. The delicate opener “Break Up Season” sets the tone for the rest of the album as she shows little tolerance for shady behaviour and toxic patterns.
Other standout cuts on the album like “Bare Minimum,” a sombre collab with fellow South African award-winning singer lordkez, the ethereal, in-your-face interlude “New Casanova,” and the percussive “What Are We,” where Shekhinah contemplates the nature of a relationship but ultimately demands all or nothing, all drive home a part of the album’s synopsis, which reads ‘A BOOK ON MORE HEARTBREAK BUT LESS HEARTACHE.’
Shekhinah invites a couple of new collaborators on ‘Less Trouble,’ featuring the aforementioned MOLIY and lordkez as well as multi-instrumentalist Mars Baby and Young Stunna across the album’s 11 tracks. Mpilo Shabangu handled the majority of the album’s production, while other producers like Michael Morare, her longtime collaborator, Mthintheki Mzizi, and Vuyo also contributed to the album.
Listen to ‘Less Trouble’ here.
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The NATIVE’s First Impressions Of Amaarae’s ‘Black Star’
‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for Amaarae, and The NATIVE team offer our thoughts after a...
Change has always been a constant theme in any discussion about the career of Ghanaian-American star, Amaarae. Since she emerged as a singular voice in the late 2010s, she has evolved from a sirenic Afropop-adjacent singer into a Punk-Pop firestarter with minimal fuss. ‘Fountain Baby,’ her 2023 sophomore album, was a sweeping departure from the lilting melodies and shapeshifing cadences of the hypnotic ‘The Angel You Don’t Know,’ emphasizing her commitment to charting new courses with her music.
In the lead-up to her new album, ‘Black Star,’ she has wholly embraced a Pop aesthetic and sheen that was reflected on the album’s promotional singles, “S.M.O.” and “Girlie-Pop!.” Now that the album has arrived, the singer has advised listeners not to go in expecting a continuation of the soundscape on ‘Fountain Baby.’ As keen followers of Amaarae’s career from its start, we are sure that ‘Black Star’ marks another evolutionary arc for her, and we offer our thoughts after a few listens.
WHAT WERE YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF AMAARAE GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?
Kemnachi: I had zero doubts that she would impress me again. Amaarae always comes correct. She is audacious with her choices, taking creative risks most artists would not dare to imagine, and somehow rendering them seamless, deliberate, and effortless. Her music has a way of enveloping me: it’s fluid, slightly dangerous, and yet irresistibly sensual. Every project feels like an immersive world she has curated down to the finest detail. With ‘Black Star,’ I knew it was not going to be a mere collection of songs but another meticulously constructed realm.
Bamise: I expected something fun, genre-bending, and sonically diverse in the fashion that Amaarae’s music typically is. I may have taken the album title a bit too literally, though, because listening made me realise I had an eye out for some Pan-African statements or something to spark discourse on African identity, but I didn’t quite catch any of that.
Boluwatife: Amaarae has largely delivered throughout her career, so I knew she was going to come correct again. She’s one of those forward-thinking artists who take the kind of risks most others wouldn’t, but she always manages to make it work. She’s proven to be a musical omnivore who constantly meshes her wide-ranging influences into something new, fluid, icy, and more often than not, sensual. I knew ‘Black Star’ wasn’t going to be any different.
WHAT SONGS STOOD OUT ON THE FIRST LISTEN?
Wale: I liked “Girlie-Pop!.” I feel like it captures Amaarae’s vision of pushing Afropop into the future. She’s also really grown comfortable with music and lyricism and will not dumb down her message for anybody. The instrumental for “Girlie-Pop!” is also a wonder; it’s so dense, but there are pockets for Amaarae to be emotive about her feelings. Top song!
Daniel Akins: I need to hear “B2B” at the next rave I’m at. Amaarae is in her Dance era, and I’m here for it. Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” with PinkPantheress is the collaboration I knew I needed, and I’m glad they finally linked up. It’s a clear standout on the project; their ethereal style complements each other.
Shina: “B2B” was the one that did it for me. That is my favourite track on the project. The number of times I ran it back was unhealthy for a first listen. It was also really fun to catch the Don Toliver “Best You Had” sample. I need to hear this outside!
HOW WELL YOU THINK THE GUEST APPEARANCES ENHANCED THE LISTENING EXPERIENCE?
Israel: The guest features on Black Star aren’t mere flexes. They’re strategic, theatrical, and sometimes emotionally resonant. They enhance, yes, but they do so on Amaarae’s terms. A standout for me was PinkPantheress on “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” The tradeoff is that a few songs feel like dazzling cameos rather than an integrated conversation, yet overall they enhance the album’s drama, texture, and bravado with precision.
Daniel Banjoko: Everyone showed up and delivered, no weak links here. Instead of just guest spots, they felt like vital pieces of a bigger puzzle. Charlie Wilson on “Dream Scenario” nailed his part especially, making the track sound exactly like its name promises.
Moore: The guest appearances on ‘Black Star’ feel very intentional; each one enhances the album’s world without overshadowing Amaarae’s vision. PinkPantheress’s signature airy delivery meshes with Amaarae’s experimental pop sound. Naomi Campbell’s commanding voice on “ms60” is an unexpected but powerful addition, adding drama to the track. Each feature feels carefully chosen.
WHAT SONG IS THE BIGGEST SKIP?
Bamise: Not to be a party pooper, but I don’t get the PinkPantheress collab, “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.” It feels like a PinkPantheress song with less pop in it, and just borrows the title of the iconic Soulja Boy song but has no other similarities. It’s between that and “ms60.” For me, the chorus of that sounds like something I’ve heard from Amaarae before, and I doubt its absence would have diminished the album.
Shina: I feel like biggest skip is a strong word for a solid project, but if I have to pick a song to skip, it’ll be “ms60.” I think it’s easily forgettable.
Wale: It’s hard to single out a song that stuck out to me, but hearing Naomi Campbell on “ms60” threw me off. It’s just too contrived to bear for me.
WHAT SONG HAS THE BIGGEST HIT POTENTIAL?
Boluwatife: My gut answer would probably be “She Is My Drug,” just because of how she beautifully reworks the melodies from Cher’s “Believe.” DJ remixes of this song could go crazy. But if I were to think a bit more logically, TikTok would probably lap up “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2.”
Daniel Banjoko: “Kiss Me Thru the Phone pt 2” goes crazy. Amaarae and PinkPantheress are the perfect match. This collab feels like it was destined to happen, and it delivers in full. Honestly, I can’t believe it took this long, and now I just need more tracks from these two, ASAP.
Moore: “Kiss Me Thru The Phone pt 2” has the biggest hit potential on the album. The song has a nostalgic, sad party girl vibe that makes it appealing, and it’s also catchy and well-produced. PinkPantheress consistently performs well on platforms like TikTok, and her fanbase overlaps in a really interesting way with Amaarae’s. The collaboration feels organic and exciting, and will likely create a lot of buzz.
OVERALL FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Wale: There is a very visceral quality to how Amaarae expresses desire that I don’t hear very often in a lot of music. It’s abstracted and warped in futuristic textures, but it’s very profoundly human, and it’s always great to hear that even as she advances the sonics of her delivery. I do, however, have an issue with the thematic scope of ‘Black Star.’ I thought there would be overt references to her experiences of navigating her Ghanaian identity, but those references are limited to samples and interpolations. It’s still an incisive listen and a triumph for finding ways to advance music from Africa.
Bamise: It’s Amaarae; she can never go wrong. But for me, this is the album that excites me the least from her catalogue. Other than how bass-heavy some songs on the album are, like “S.M.O.” and “She Is My Drug” among others, it feels similar to other projects I’ve heard from her in a way that’s not exactly refreshing or mind-bending. I may have gotten spoiled by how diverse and eclectic Amaarae’s music tends to be, but I wanted more from her. I expected more gangster, Hip-Hop Amaarae. Thematically, I didn’t get anything that gives the Black Star of Ghana, or black stars are ruling the world. Will I listen again and enjoy every bit of it still, though? Yes, I will.
Shina: So first off, this is a solid body of work. I love the fact that Amaarae stuck with the Dance, Electro-Pop route she was going with throughout the album. The features also played their part, adding their unique touches to each record. I would say, though, a feature I would’ve loved to hear on this project is 070Shake. I think she would have been perfect on “100DRUM,” but we don’t always get what we want, do we? Thematically, I think Amaarae could’ve leaned heavily on her Ghanaian heritage, seeing as the title and cover of the album are a nod to that. Maybe Amaarae just wants us to dance, and that’s what I’m just gonna do, and you should too.
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